Almost Ready for the Global Big Day 2025

The countdown to Global Big Day 2025 is almost over, and I'm nearly ready to go! This incredible worldwide event brings together bird lovers everywhere to observe and document species in a single day. Organized by eBird, a project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, it not only celebrates birds but also contributes to conservation efforts and valuable research on bird populations.

It’s going to be a special family day, with the Moore Birders heading out together for the adventure. As the team leader for our local group, Bajan Birders & Friends, I’m also thrilled that, for the fourth year in a row, we’ll be participating in BirdsCaribbean's annual Global Big Day fundraiser.

The rare White-tailed Hawk will be one of the difficult birds to locate tomorrow during GBD2025

While I’m simply excited to be outdoors birding with my family and raising awareness for birds in our region, I’ve set a few personal goals for the day. First, I want to beat my personal best of 52 species, recorded during Global Big Day 2017—an unforgettable day of birding!
Second, I aim to wrap up the event with a year tally of over 90 species, which would be my highest total following a Global Big Year. At 88 species so far, I’m closer than I’ve ever been at this point in the year, and there are still a few species on the island I have yet to spot.

Third, I hope to conduct the first-ever Global Big Day count at the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary—the last remaining original red mangrove swamp. The sanctuary is due to reopen later this month after nearly two decades of closure, and I’m currently seeking permission to document birds there for GBD2025. If granted, it would mark the first such record for this Important Bird Area (IBA).

With scouting nearly complete, the schedule is being adjusted and fine-tuned. Tonight, the Moore Birders will hold our final team meeting, and if all goes according to plan, we’ll kick things off tomorrow, May 10th, Global Big Day 2025, at 5 a.m. with our first checklist. What will our first bird be? Keep your eyes on this space.

Happy birding, everyone!